Weekend 22

The Weekend 22 (abbreviated as W22) is a Christian music countdown. It is a syndicated show that is broadcast nationwide in the United States and heard in over 150 cities across the country. The show is produced and syndicated worldwide by Amped Creative. Christian Care Ministry's Medi-Share is the main sponsor for the show.

Weekend 22
Other namesW22
GenreChristian CHR record chart
Running time2 hrs. (including commercials)
1 hr. + 45 mins. (w/out commercials)
Country of originUnited States
Language(s)English
SyndicatesAmped Creative
Hosted byJosh Ashton (2005–present)
Jeremy "JGonzo" Gonzalez (2002-2005)
Stu Gray (substitute host)
StarringJosh Ashton
Created byAmped Creative
Written byJosh Peterson (200?–2011)
Rachael Jamison (2011–2022)
Brandon Rahbar (2022–present)
Produced byJason Burrows
Executive producer(s)Ken Farley and Brandon Rahbar
Original releaseJune 2002 –
present
Websitewww.weekend22.com

The countdown is based on the play lists found on Christian CHR radio stations across the U.S. It was based on the R&R charts until the magazine was folded into Billboard magazine in 2009. Jeremy "JGonzo" Gonzalez started out as the host in June 2002. Josh Ashton took over as host in August 2008. The current producer is Jason Burrows and the current executive producers are Ken Farley (owner of Amped Creative) and Brandon Rahbar. Research and script is provided by Rachael Jamison. JGonzo's wife Kathy "KJ" Gonzalez is the former announcer of the music news segments. The current music news contributor is Rachael James.

Amped Creative also created and produced a countdown show for Christian AC stations called The Weekend Top 20, which is also executively produced by Ken Farley and Brandon Rahbar. While Rachael Jamison handles music news on 20WT, Wes Shattler handles the research script. 20WT is hosted by Kurt Wallace.

Similarities between Weekend 22 and 20 the Countdown

Weekend 22 is similar to 20 the Countdown, both counting down the most popular songs on Christian radio. However, while 20 the Countdown Magazine used the Billboard Christian Songs as its source, Weekend 22 used the weekly Christian CHR airplay-based survey produced by Radio & Records. It would eventually switch to the Billboard Christian pop songs chart in 2009 after R&R folded into that magazine.

Features
  • 3 Songs That Might Make It to #1
  • Jingles
  • Music News: In the middle of each half of the countdown, W22 introduces a segment featuring the latest Christian music news. Kathy "KJ" Gonzalez was the former music news coordinator, later replaced by the current coordinator, Rachael James.
  • Future Hits: In the middle of a segment of the countdown (usually songs 13-12 and/or songs 4-3), the countdown is paused to introduce to listeners a song that might become a future hit on the countdown (hence the name). It may be a new song that has debuted on the Christian CHR chart below the top 22, or it may be a new song that has received airplay on Christian hit radio but has yet to chart. During the holiday season, the "Future Hits" segments are replaced by "Christmas Song" segments where they introduce a new Christmas song.
  • Special Feature: Every once in a while, one of the "Future Hits" segments will be replaced by a segment where they play a song that was requested from a listener that has touched their lives. The Weekend 22 hotline is +1 (800) 761-HITS (4487).
  • Closing: The final segment of each countdown features the top two songs on the survey. After playing the #1 song of the week, the host will read the show's credits and sign off with "have a great weekend... or what's left of it".

Weekend 22 History of #1s

These songs hit No. 1 on the Weekend 22 Year-End Countdown from 2002 to 2021.

Expansion into Christian adult contemporary charts

In 2003, Amped Creative added a second countdown show. With Christian pop radio in decline, and many Weekend 22 affiliates having a Christian adult contemporary format, Amped Creative launched Weekend Top 25 in November 2003, as a two-hour, 25-song countdown (reduced to 20 in June 2006), using the Radio & Records Christian AC chart, eventually switched to the Billboard Christian AC chart after R&R folded into that magazine.

Lisa Williams started out as the host in November 2003. Scott Smith took over as host sometime in 2005. The current host, Kurt Wallace, took over sometime in 2007.

As on the parent program, Weekend Top 20 concludes its years with an annual special featuring the top hits of the year. It featured a twenty-five song countdown from 2003 to 2005, reduced to twenty beginning in 2006.

The songs that finished the year atop the charts are as follows:

References
  1. "Christian" (PDF). Radio & Records (1, 483): 128. December 13, 2002. Retrieved April 11, 2016.
  2. "Christian" (PDF). Radio & Records (1, 534): 80. December 12, 2003. Retrieved April 11, 2016.
  3. "Christian" (PDF). Radio & Records (1, 585): 120. December 10, 2004. Retrieved April 11, 2016.
  4. "Christian" (PDF). Radio & Records (1, 636): 132. December 9, 2005. Retrieved April 11, 2016.
  5. 2006 Year End Charts/Top Christian CHR songsArchived October 14, 2007, at the Wayback Machine, R&R magazine, Retrieved January 5, 2007
  6. 2007 Year End Charts/Top Christian CHR songsArchived January 4, 2008, at the Wayback Machine, R&R magazine, Retrieved January 4, 2008
  7. 2008 Year End Charts/Top Christian CHR songs Archived January 23, 2009, at the Wayback Machine, R&R magazine, Retrieved January 6, 2009
  8. 2009 Year End Charts/Top Christian CHR songsArchived June 20, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, Billboard magazine, Retrieved January 5, 2010
  9. 2010 Year End Charts/Top Christian CHR songsArchived June 15, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, Billboard magazine, Retrieved January 4, 2011
  10. 2011 Year End Charts/Top Christian CHR songsArchived January 9, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, Billboard magazine, Retrieved January 3, 2012
  11. 2012 Year End Charts/Top Christian CHR songsArchived June 16, 2013, at the Wayback Machine, Billboard magazine, Retrieved January 1, 2013
  12. 2013 Year End Charts/Top Christian CHR songsArchived April 9, 2014, at the Wayback Machine, Billboard magazine, Retrieved January 7, 2014
  13. 2014 Year End Charts/Top Christian CHR songsArchived January 11, 2015, at the Wayback Machine, Billboard magazine, Retrieved January 6, 2015
  14. 2015 Year End Charts/Top Christian CHR songsArchived August 15, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, Billboard magazine, Retrieved January 8, 2016
  15. 2016 Year End Charts/Top Christian CHR songsArchived October 26, 2017, at the Wayback Machine, Billboard magazine, Retrieved January 7, 2017
  16. 2017 Year End Charts/Top Christian CHR songsArchived August 7, 2019, at the Wayback Machine, Billboard magazine, Retrieved January 8, 2018
  17. 2018 Year End Charts/Weekend 22, Podbean, Retrieved January 2, 2019
  18. 2019 Year End Charts/Top Christian CHR songsArchived June 6, 2020, at the Wayback Machine, Billboard magazine, Retrieved December 26, 2019
  19. In 2020, Billboard did not publish an official Christian CHR year-end list. The countdown was instead based on data gathered by the producers of Weekend 22.
  20. 2021 Year End Charts/Weekend 22, Podbean, Retrieved January 7, 2022
  21. 2006 Year End Charts/Top Christian AC songsArchived October 14, 2007, at the Wayback Machine, R&R magazine, Retrieved January 5, 2007
  22. 2007 Year End Charts/Top Christian AC songsArchived January 2, 2008, at the Wayback Machine, R&R magazine, Retrieved January 4, 2008
  23. 2008 Year End Charts/Top Christian AC songs Archived April 12, 2009, at the Wayback Machine, R&R magazine, Retrieved January 6, 2009
  24. 2009 Year End Charts/Top Christian AC songs Archived June 19, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, Billboard magazine, Retrieved January 5, 2010
  25. 2010 Year End Charts/Top Christian AC songsArchived June 16, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, Billboard magazine, Retrieved January 4, 2011
  26. 2011 Year End Charts/Top Christian AC songsArchived January 11, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, Billboard magazine, Retrieved January 3, 2012
  27. 2012 Year End Charts/Top Christian AC songsArchived June 23, 2013, at the Wayback Machine, Billboard magazine, Retrieved January 2, 2013
  28. 2013 Year End Charts/Top Christian AC songsArchived April 9, 2014, at the Wayback Machine, Billboard magazine, Retrieved January 1, 2013
  29. 2014 Year End Charts/Top Christian AC songsArchived January 11, 2015, at the Wayback Machine, Billboard magazine, Retrieved January 6, 2015
  30. 2015 Year End Charts/Top Christian AC songsArchived August 15, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, Billboard magazine, Retrieved January 8, 2016
  31. 2016 Year End Charts/Top Christian AC songsArchived October 27, 2017, at the Wayback Machine, Billboard magazine, Retrieved January 7, 2017
  32. 2017 Year End Charts/Top Christian AC songsArchived August 7, 2019, at the Wayback Machine, Billboard magazine, Retrieved January 8, 2018
  33. 2018 Year End Charts/Weekend Top 20, Podbean, Retrieved January 2, 2019
  34. 2019 Year End Charts/Top Christian AC songsArchived December 8, 2019, at the Wayback Machine, Billboard magazine, Retrieved December 26, 2019
  35. 2020 Year End Charts/Top Christian AC songs, Billboard, Retrieved December 30, 2020
  36. 2021 Year End Charts/Weekend Top 20, Podbean, Retrieved January 7, 2022
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